(i) Technical Field
The present invention relates to a developer storing container such as a toner cartridge, a method of assembling a developer storing container, and a me hod of recycling a developer storing container.
(ii) Related Art
Developer storing containers used in image forming apparatus employing the electro-photographic method according to the related art such as copiers, printers, and facsimile machines include containers configured to supply developer stored in a supplied developer-storing portion thereof to a developing device mounted in an image forming apparatus at a timing and to collect developer to be collected including a carrier, which has been deteriorated by being used at a developing step in the developing device, into a collected developer-storing portion from the developing device.
In such a developer storing container, not only developer to be supplied to a developing device but also developer collected from the developer must be stored. Therefore, the interior of the developer storing container must be partitioned by a partition member into a supplied developer-storing portion and a collected developer-storing portion to store the supplied developer and the collected developer such that the supplied developer and the collected developer will not be mixed.
In the initial state of the developer storing container, the collected developer-storing portion is vacant whereas the supplied developer-storing portion is substantially fully filled with the developer. As the container is used, the amount of the supplied developer in the supplied developer-storing portion gradually decreases, and the amount of the developer collected into the collected developer-storming portion gradually increases.